Meter-box and meter connection.



W. SIEBER.

METER BOX AND METER CONNECTION.

A LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL 1.

057,289. I Patented Mar.25,19 13.

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W. SIEBER. METER BOX AND METER CONNECTION.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2B, 1911.

Patented Mar. 25, 1913.

2 snnETs-sHEET 2.

wirf/8858 CS n mon/1ers K UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

WILLIAM SIEIBEB, 0F HENDERSON, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALFTC CASEY A.

, HART, 0F HENDERSON, KENTUCKY. i

METER-BOX AND METER CONNECTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedMar, 25, 1 913.

To ail 'whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM Swann, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Henderson,-in the county of Henderson and State of Kentucky,have invented a new and Improved Meter-Box and Meter Con-A nection, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to a new and improved connect-ing means for use ina meter box adapted to contain metering devices,

' whereby the meter may be easily placed in and removed from service.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved connectingmeans for use in a meter box adapted to contain any of the standardmeters for wateror gas, the construction being such that it is onlynecessary to have the box large enough to admit the meter since theconnection setforth which engages the meter requires no extended laboror time in placing the meterin service 'or in removing it therefrom.

A further object of my invention is to provide a new and useful meterconnection which is especially adapted to connect meters in service, theconst-ruction 'of the parts being such that the meter may be put into ortaken out of service in a short space of time, thereby doing away withthe necessity of shutting off the supply while removing the meter andreplacing it with another meter; the connections may be readilyby-passed by screwing the tees to a piece of pipe the same length as themeter.

Reference is to be had to the accompany-l ing drawings, forming a partof this speciication, in which similar characters of reference denotecorresponding parts in all the views, and in which- Figure l is avertical sectional view showf ingl the construction of the meter box,one of the meter connections being also sectionally shown; Fig. 2 is apartial plan view, partly in section, showing the method of sealing thecover in position; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the bottom of the box, themeter being removed; Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the boxshowing t-he meter positioned therein, the meter connections beingslightly varied in' order to accommodate the meter. y

The meter box is preferably made in sections, that shown in Figs. 1 and4 comprising two sections 1, 2, the shape of eachl being substantiallyas shown in Fig. 3, the lower section being provided with a bottom 3,interlorly threaded lugs 4, 5', being provided for connection with aWater or gas main. The lower edge of the upper sectionl 1 is provided onits outside witha peripheral fiange` or shoulder 6 adapted to restagainst the earth or filling around the lower section, this shoulderproviding a firm seat for'the upper section and holding the same inposition. IThe bottom 3 -of the lower section 2 may be integral-With thesection itself or separate therefrom and, as shown in Fig. l, thebottom` is provided with a circular shoulder 7` slightly removed fromits edge, the shoulder being adapted'to rest against the inside of thelower section in order to position the same on the bottom.

he openings in the interiorly threaded lugs 4, 5, continue angularly upthroughthe bottom 3 and terminate in interiorly threaded extensions 8,9. Each of these threaded openings is adapted to receive the lower endof a perforated spud 10, having a hexagonal nut l1 thereon whereby itmay be positioned within the opening, the spud being provided with aplurality of openings 12 intermediate its ends whereby it serves thefunction of a strainer. T e upper end of each spud is tapered as at 1for the purpose to be later set forth. It will be noted that thecenterof the top portion of each spud is eccentric to the [center of the lowerportion thereof, the result being that the o'pening 14 within it isoffset so that the distance between the top portions of the spuds may bevaried within certain limits by turning either or both of the spuds;such an arrangement provides a simple construction of parts in order topermit positioning of different size meters within the box therebymaking allowance for small differences in the sizes of such meter. InFig. l the meter 20is provided with a verticalextension 2l having aspindle 22 therein in connection with the dial box 23, this arrangementbeing preferable. The me.- ter is usually placed below the frost lineand it is desired to read the meter at different times. By making themeter box in sections it is especially well adapted for such uses,

the size of its section being such that the.

cover 24 of the b ox is adjacent the surface -is fthe same as thereon,

of the ground. The contour of the cover 24 theV cross-section of thesection 1, a seat being provided around thejtt of the section'l'V withinwhich'the inclin' edge portion 25 is adapted to be positioned, the coverbein secured in the Afollowing manner. A hoo 26 is provided on thelowersurface of the cover at any V convenient point the interior ofthesection being provided witli a recess 27 into which this hook isadapted to engage, the .cover being'v provided at a diametricallyopposite pointwith a latch-28 rotatably mounted on the cover, the lowerend of the latch being adapted to be engaged a suitable recess 29 in theinterior of the section 1. In order to lprevent access to the latch inorder to release the cover, I have provided a smaller cover v30pivotedat 31 to the 'main cover 24, the `free end of the smaller coverbein -provided'with registering openings throug which .a suit'- ablepiece of wire 32 passes, the.ends of the wire being held tog ther' byany suitable seal 33.'

Referring particularly to Fig. 2 it will be noted that the smaller coverits under side in order to'receive the upper end of the latch 28, thethrough an opening within a wire 32 passin boss 34 .carrie by the top ofthe cover24 whereby, when the wire is sealed, the cover 30 cannot beraised. The seal 33 is protected from injury in the i. case oftraiiic'by providing a shallow recess 35-on the cover 24 which receivesthe seal. The connectiqn betweenthe perforated spuds and thevmeter ispreferably as follows: A connecting T-40'has an openingex-f tendingthrough one of the arms-thereof adapted to receive the spud 10,- thevother arm 41 of ,this T communicatin Y with the said opening'and havinga three ed interior 42 adapted to be engaged with-the threaded vofthearm of the T throu lug 43 on thesideof the meter. The bottom h which thespud .extends forms 'a' seat 44 w ich 4is adapted to rest on top of thehexagonal'nut 11 carried by the'spud,'the water or gas-tight connectionbetween the .spud and the T being maintained by means of feather-edgedwashers 45 having peripheral anges 46 thereon seated in the interior ofthe-T.A A suitable leather gasket -is positioned between the outerk endof the threadedlug43 on themeter and the interior 'of theT in order tomaintain: these parts e against. leakage. It

, will benoted that'the interior of the vertical arm ofthe'co'nnectingiT40 isQhollowed' out or 1s of open construction, sucha feature providingfor outflow of water or gas from Aall of the openings 12 within the spud10.

rPheY lower section of' the meter -box is poysitioned within anopening?` inthe ground at any desired depth andthe mains are connectedto the t readedopenings 4,

- the upper section spreading the feathered when 301s recessed on 5.:The upper section 1 is then positioned on top-"ofA the lower section,

number'of sections may be vpositioned one er, in .fa-ct, any desired'above the other, the Aperipheral a-nge 6 on resting against the groundor .earth which has been illedin around the Ilower section, therebyproviding a firm seat for this upper section. The meter is positionedwithin therbox by lowering it vertically and allowing the upper tapered`ends of the perforated spuds 10 to enter into the vertical openin s inthe connecting Ts 40, the tapered en only serving to guide the Ts butalso greatly washers 45 so that the meter finally comes to rest thelower portions of the Ts will be resting on the spuds and the arts willbe held in position. It may be t at the distance between the'cent'ers ofthe openingsin each of the vertical arms of the Ts 40' varies indifferent meters, and in/uch cases the s uds may be properly positi nedby turning iem slight distances since such movement varies the distancebetween them by reason of their` veccentric construction, after whichthe particular meter used may be placed in positioln.

'It is not necessary that the meter be positioned at the bottomof thelower section 2 of` the meter box, in fact, the meter may be placed atany desired height therein and in ig. 4 I have shown modifiedconstruction wherein the extension and spindle 22, leading to the indexbox 23 'are dispensed` with, the ifieter bein raised by means of pipes60 ing their ower ends in engagement with threaded lugs 8, 9, in theinterior `of the box, the perforated spuds 10 in this case beingpositioned at the upper ends of these pipes. ither construction may beadopted at will, whichever is better adapted to the circumstances,the-inventive idea residing in either arrangement and each beinercomprehended in the spirit andscope of the appended claims. Having thusdescribed my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters`liatentz-I- 1..A connecting means for a meter comprising a perforatedspud having an opening therein, thev upper end of the spud bein taperedand closed, with a connecting I havin an openingextending therethrough,the said Tubcing positioned on the said spud, the closed end-.of thespud projecting beyond er end of the together Awith washerswit in the Tand in engagement with the spud to prevent leakage.

e. f2. lA-vconnecting means for a meter prising the central open portionof the spud communicating with a plurality of o enmgs inthe sides of thespud, together wit a connectin T, one arm of which has an gpenin extening therethrough intowhich t e sai fof the spuds not' havcomn ico ios

spud passes, there being packing means within the T and engaging theSpud-in the outside thereof in order toprevent leakage.

3. A connecting means for a meter comprising a member having one endthereof taperlng and closed,.the member being provided with a pluralityof openings communicating with the interior thereof, a T, oneA of thearms thereof having'an opening eX- tending entirely therethrough, thesaid member with the tapering end entering the said opening in the arm,together with packing material within the T at oppositeends there-- ofand positioned on opposite sides of the said` openings in the saidmember whereby when the parts are brought together they are securedagainst leakage.

4. A connecting means for a meter comprising a spud having a threadedend, the other end of the spud being tapered and closed, the -spud beingprovided with a'plurality of openings between the said ends an fcommunicating with the interior thereof, a1 connecting T, one arm ofwhich is adapted,l for connection to a meter, the other arm hav-l ing anopening extending entirely there-f` through, the intermediate portion ofthe said, arm being of greater diameter than the di-` ameter of the saidSpud, packing material*` contained within the T at opposite ends of,said arm, whereby, when the said spud ist positioned within the openingin the said` the threaded portion varying the distance between thetapered endsof both spuds,

p ermit fluid to each having its upper end closed and whereby, when theTs` of a meter are to be positloned on the spuds, the spuds may beadjusted in order to receive the Ts.

6. A connecting means for a meter, comprising a perforated spud, theupper end thereof being closed, aconnecting T having an openingextending therethrough, the side wall of the said T adjacent t-heerforations of thel Spud being spaced there om, the T being positionedon the spud, togethery with washers within the T and engaging the spudto prevent leakage.

In testimonywhereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM SIEBER. Witnesses B. S, MORRIS, THos..S. PosEY.

